Agreement between Jaysh al-Islam and Jabhat al-Nusra, Ghouta

  • Country/entity
    Syria
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    Agreement between Jaysh al-Islam and Jabhat al-Nusra, Ghouta
  • Date
    19 Jul 2015
  • Agreement status
    Multiparty signed/agreed
  • Interim arrangement
    Yes
  • Agreement/conflict level
    Intrastate/local conflict ( Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - ) )
  • Stage
    Pre-negotiation/process
  • Conflict nature
    Inter-group
  • Peace process
    Syrian Local Agreements
  • Parties
    Jaysh al-Islam, Sheikh Zahran Aloush;
    Jabhat al-Nusra, Sheikh Abu Essam.
  • Third parties
    -
  • Description
    5 point agreement providing for an end to defamation campaigns, the removal of checkpoints in Ghouta, the creation of a joint military command and the re-opening of courts for dispute resolution.

Local agreement properties

  • Process type
    Informal but persistent process
  • Rationale
    -> Link to national level; no external support mechanism; culture of signing There is no formally established mechanism to support the negotiation between Salafi armed groups. Moreover, this agreement cannot be linked to the national peace process. Indeed, both groups have a Salafist ideology; they oppose the rule of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and reject the idea of a national negotiation to solve the conflict. Yet, it seems that both signing parties choose to solve daily pragmatic issues related to their armed struggle through agreements. Although one cannot speak of a “culture” of singing peace agreements, the parties are involved (in a non-proactive and non-conscious way) in a persistent practice of signing local agreements.
  • Is there a documented link to a national peace process?
    No
  • Link to national process: articulated rationale
    No link to the national peace process in Syria is mentioned in the agreement, neither it can be inferred from further research. First, the agreement does not involve local governance actors; and the signing parties themselves are not official state representative. Second, all parties to the agreement reject the national peace process, as it would maintain Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government in power.
  • Name of Locale
    Ghouta
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    33.570422, 36.405134
  • Participant type
    Local armed group
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar
    No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
    Page 1, In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
  • Grievance List
    Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it seems that the confrontation between Jaysh al-Islam and Jahbat al-Nusra in Ghouta lies at the centre of the dispute. The agreement lists five provisions to address local grievances.

    Page 1,
    1. Stopping all campaigns that accuse others of betrayal to the cause, defame them, or incite against them by both sides, and pledging to ensure that violators of this agreement from both sides are dealt with.
    2. [illegible]
    3. Jaysh Al Islam pledges to remove the barriers/checkpoints between [illegible] and that it will
    man all of the barriers/checkpoints in Ghouta in future operations
    4. Establishing a military operations command room to guard military sites in Ghouta and
    creating a joint vision between all of the different groups in Ghouta.
    5. Both sides pledge to reopen the issue of the courts in order to reach a joint vision
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

On [illegible], the leadership of Jaysh Al Islam represented by Sheikh Zahran Aloush and the leadership of Jabhat Al Nusra, represented by Sheikh Abu Essam.

They agreed on the following:

1. Stopping all campaigns that accuse others of betrayal to the cause, defame them, or incite against them by both sides, and pledging to ensure that violators of this agreement from both sides are dealt with.

2. [ illegible]

3. Jaysh Al Islam pledges to remove the barriers/checkpoints between [illegible] and that it will man all of the barriers/checkpoints in Ghouta in future operations

4. Establishing a military operations command room to guard military sites in Ghouta and creating a joint vision between all of the different groups in Ghouta.

5. Both sides pledge to reopen the issue of the courts in order to reach a joint vision

Commander of Jabhat Al Nusrah

Sheikh Abu Essam

[Signed]

Commander of Jaysh Al Islam

Sheikh Zahran Aloush

[Signed]